Tambov is the main city of Tambov Oblast, located in the area southeast of Moscow. The city’s history dates to 1636, when Tsar Mikhail I founded Tambov as a fort on Russia’s southern border. The fort was one of several that were supposed to protect the kingdom against attacks from Tatars. Tambov was attacked, and the city’s garrison generally resisted the frequent attacks. In the 1640s, an expansion of the fort began, including the installation of cannons from Tula on the city’s kremlin. Tambov’s military role as a southern bulwark did not last many years, however, as Russia expanded to the south, whereby Tambov was no longer a border town. During the expansion towards the Sea of Azov, forces went out from Tambov.

In 1719, Tambov Province was established, and Tambov was officially granted the status of a city. The city and area became part of the Azov Province, which in 1732 was renamed Voronezh. By this time, Tambov had become a trading town between Moscow, the Volga and the Russian black earth regions. Livestock farming brought prosperity to the city, and it was especially wool that Tambov was known for, and spinning mills were established in the city as the first factories. However, Tambov lagged culturally and economically compared to other cities in this part of Russia, but it changed when Gavrila Derzhyavin was appointed governor of the city in 1786.

With Derzjavin, schools, concerts, printing houses and other things were established that pushed culture forward in Tambov. The new governor also prioritized the expansion of the river navigation on the Tsna River, and this made the transport of timber and stone possible, which had previously prevented modern construction in Tambov. Derzjavin stopped as governor in 1788, which stopped some of the initiatives he had set in motion for the city’s development. Later, however, it was possible to build on the measures taken during Derzjavin’s governorship, for example, Tambov was paved decades later with stone produced for the purpose in this time.

Throughout the 19th century, Tambov’s population grew to over 50,000, and the city became a cultural center with many schools, libraries and other institutions. With the Russian Revolution, the city became part of the Soviet Union, while the Tambov Uprising with Soviet rule arose during the civil war of 1920-1921. However, the short-lived Tambov Republic was defeated by the Red Army. In 1937 it became the capital of the oblast of the same name. At the time, just over 100,000 people lived in the city, which was heavily expanded in the latter half of the 20th century, and which today is home to almost 300,000 inhabitants.

Today you can enjoy some lovely strolls in Tambov and see the city’s many sights, some of which are located along the course of the Tsna River along the center. The biggest attraction is Our Lady of Kazan Monastery, which is a monastery founded in the late 1660s. In the large monastery complex, you can see many beautiful buildings, which mainly date from the 18th century. This applies, for example, to Kazan Cathedral, which was built in baroque style as the site’s summer church in the years 1791-1796, and John the Baptist Church from 1794, which was consecrated as the monastery’s winter church. In addition to the churches, you can see the monastery’s bell tower, which with a height of 107 is the second highest bell tower in Russia. The beautiful tower was demolished during the Soviet Union and reopened in 2014.

East of Our Lady of Kazan Monastery, you can walk along the banks of the Tsna River. A little south of the monastery is the Intercession Cathedral from 1763 at the fine Kronstadt Square, where you can see the Tambov Technical University north of the green area. If you go north instead, you can walk along promenades at the river to Tambov’s amusement park and to the Annunciation Cathedral. The cathedral was built from 1694 as the first stone church in Tambov, and the beautiful building was completed in 1783. The church’s 42.5-meter-high bell tower was constructed after the church and was completed in the 19th century. If you continue to the northeast, you can see another of the city’s beautiful churches. Here is the Ascension Cathedral, which was inaugurated in 2014 with architectural inspiration from Moscow’s old churches.

There are also many other things to see in Tambov. In the newer part of the city, you can start a tour at Lenin Square, where the city’s monument to the leader of the state Lenin stands, and where you can see the Tambov Drama Theater from 1897 and the Tambov Oblast government building, built 1981-1994. Close by, you can visit the Tambov Regional Museum, where you can learn more about the culture and history of the city and the region. A little south of the center you can visit the museum complex around merchant Asayev’s House, which is found in elegant mansion and its park with a fountain. The mansion was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the merchant Asayev, and the place is like a small castle with lovely surroundings.